Toggle bolt



Sept. 7, 1948. H. N.- BOYER 2,448,700

TOGGLE BOLT Filed Aug. 12 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 El. irTgy-EL- l'mventor Hugh IV. Boyer.

Gttomeg H. N. B OYER TOGGLE BOLT Sept. 7, 1948;

Filed Aug. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w w m lhwentor Huqh /V. Boyefl.

Patented Sept. 7, 1948 'UNlTED STATES I'PATENT OFFICE TQGGLE BOLT Hugh N. Boyer, near Canfield, Ohio Application August 12, 1946, Serial No. 689,860

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a toggle bolt and more particularly to a bolt which may be utilized in attaching various articles to horizontal supporting surfaces such as hollow ceilings and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a toggle bolt insertable through an opening in a horizontal wall or ceiling surface and operable to engage the inner surface of the said ceiling so that various articles may be hung thereon.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a toggle bolt, the toggle portion of which is spring biased toward transverse position with respect to the bolt portion thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a toggle bolt, the bolt portion of which is provided with a transversely formed opening and a longitudinally extending slot associated therewith for the accommodation of a semi-L-shaped toggle spring biased with respect to the said bolt.

The toggle bolt shown and described herein comprises an improvement over that shown in my Patent No. 2,408,366, in that a biasing spring has been added which permits the toggle bolt construction to be utilized on a horizontal wall or ceiling surfaces by insuring the positioning of the toggle portion at right angles to the bolt portion of the toggle bolt. The toggle bolt is particularly adapted for hanging heavy fluorescent fixtures and the like on hollow ceiling constructions commonly found in mercantile buildings, oifice buildings and the like and is insertable through a relatively small opening formed in such a ceiling and, in position, forms a hanger means spreading the active load of the toggle bolt and object carried thereon over a relatively wide area of the ceiling or hollow horizontal wall.

With the foregoin and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of the toggle bolt inserted through an opening in a horizontal member.

Figure 2 is a side view in cross section of the toggle bolt inserted through an opening in a horizontal member,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the toggle bolt shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side view of the toggle bolt inserted in an opening in a horizontal member and illustrating the toggle portion thereof in weight supporting position.

Figure 5 is a side view of a modified form of the toggle bolt.

Figure 6 is a side view with parts broken away and parts in cross section of the modified form of toggle bolt.

Figure 7 is an end elevation taken on line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is an elevation taken on line 8--8 of Figure 6.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 in particular, it will be seen that the toggle bolt consists of a threaded bolt portion l0 having an unthreaded end section II which is provided with a transversely formed opening 12 and a longitudinally positioned slot I3. The slot 13 extends from an end H of the unthreaded end section I l of the bolt to communicate with the transversely positioned opening l2 therein. An enlarged annular area I5 is formed on one side of the unthreaded end ll of the bolt l0 and adjacent to and in communication with the transversely positioned opening.

Positioned in the transversely positioned opening [2 and the slot l3 and annular area l5 there is a semi-L-shaped toggle l6 which is provided with a head I! on its semi-L-shaped end. The semi- L-shaped toggle l6 and the unthreaded end H of the bolt 10 are connected to one another by means of a spring member l8, one end of which is affixed in an opening in the end M of the unthreaded portion ll of the bolt l0 and the other end of which is loosely afiixed in a transverse opening in the head I! of the semi-L-shaped toggle member 16. The spring member l8 has at least one convolution I9 formed in its uppermost portion and is adapted, upon being released, to spread the arms of the spring I8 apart as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings thereby moving the semi-L-shaped toggle l6 into horizontal position with respect to the vertically positioned bolt and moving it with respect to the openin l2 thereth'rough.

By referring now to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that when the toggle bolt is ready to be positioned through an opening in a supporting surface such as indicated by the numeral 20, the semi-L-shaped toggle l6 stands vertically in alignment with the vertically positioned bolt III. The spring I8 is in tensioned position and the same is held in that position manually while the toggle bolt is inserted upwardly in the opening in the supporting member 20. When the lowermost end of the semi-L- shaped toggle member 6 has cleared the upper surface of the supporting member 20, the spring I8 seeking to resume its normal position moves the semi-L-shaped toggle It to the right, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, to the position illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings.

By referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that when the toggle bolt is inserted in the opening in the supporting member 20, the vertical section of the semi-L-shaped toggle I6 is positioned in the slot l3 formed between the end l4 and the transverse opening E2 in the unthreaded end i i of the bolt [0.

In Figure 3 of the drawings the compact arrangement of the toggle bolt is shown in top plan view, it being observed that the entire toggle bolt mechanism lies within the circle defining the outermost circumference of the unthreaded end section l I of the bolt M.

It will be seen that the toggle bolt thus de scribed forms a positive means of anchoring an object to a horizontal supporting surface and that the operation of the toggle bolt is insured by the provision of the tensioning spring l8 which always serves to move the semi-L-shaped toggle it into transverse relation to the bolt iii thereof. The advantages of the construction will also be seen in that the relatively heavy bolt construction directly receives the semi- L-shaped toggle It by way of the transverse opening i2 therein thereby providing an unusually strong structural member as compared with the usual light pins employed in various toggle bolts heretofore known in the art.

By referring now to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings, modified forms of the toggle bolt may be seen which comprise a bolt portion 25 having an unthreaded end 22 provided with a transverse opening 23 therein and one end of which is formed with a relatively smaller opening 24 therein. A straight toggle member 25 having a rounded head portion 26 is positioned in the transverse opening 23 and the toggle member 25 has a pin 22 positioned transversely thereof near the other end thereof. The pin 21 prevents the toggle 25 from moving completely out of the transverse opening 23 in the unthreaded end 22 of the bolt 2| and a groove 28 establishes communication between the transverse opening 23 and the end of the unthreaded section 22 of the bolt M. A spring member 252 is provided for moving the toggle member into transverse position with respect to the bolt 2| and one end of the spring 29 is afiixed in the unthreaded end section 22 of the bolt 2| and the other end is pivotally affixed in an eyelet 30 formed on the head 26 of the'toggle 25. This form of the invention is particularly adapted for installation on vertical wall surfaces.

By referring to Figure of the drawings it will be seen that when the bolt '2! is positioned on a horizontal axis, the toggle 25 will lie on a horizontal axis in the groove 23 with the head 26 thereof immediately adjacent the narrow opening 24 of the transverse opening 23. It will be seen that the toggle member 25 is positioned in axial alignment with the bolt 2| and the assembly positioned through an opening in a supporting surface such as indicated by the numeral 3!. The

spring member 29 which normally tends to straighten out will move the end 26 of the toggle 25 out of the transverse opening 23 and thereby position the toggle 25 at right angles to the bolt 2!. A nut 32 is then threadably engaged upon the bolt 2| to complete the positioning of the toggle bolt, which action will move the toggle 25 into engagement with the inner surface of the supporting member 3 I.

In Figure '7 of the drawings the inner end elevation of the toggle boltshown in Figure 5 of the drawings is disclosed, it being observed that the pin 21 has been turned a quarter turn to correspond with its showing in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of the toggle bolt shown in Figure 6 of the drawings in fastened position, it being observed that the toggle 25 is positioned through the transverse opening 23 in the unthreaded end 22 of the bolt 2|, thus forming a structurally sound device not dependent upon relatively small pins or pivots.

It will thus be seen that two forms of toggle bolts have been disclosed which form improvements over that shown in my co-pending patent application heretofore referred to and which may be inexpensively formed and successfully used for mounting relatively heavy objects on a wall or ceiling surfaces. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. "In a fastener a partiallythreaded body member adapted for insertion through openings in articles to be fastened, a nut threaded on said threaded body member, an opening formed transversely in the unthreaded portion of the said body member and a slot formed between the said opening and the said unthreaded end of the said memher, a toggle positioned in the said opening and spring means connecting the said toggle and the body member for urging the said toggle through the said opening therein.

2. In a toggle bolt a partially threaded body member having a transversely formed opening in the unthreaded portion thereof near the unthreaded end thereof and a slot formed between the said transversely positioned opening and the saidunthreaded end thereof, a toggle member consisting of a section of round material curved at one end and provided with a head thereon positioned in said opening and capable of movement therein, spring means connecting the said toggle and the said bolt for normally urging the toggle through the said transversely positioned opening.

3. A toggle bolt for mounting through an opening in a horizontal member, said toggle bolt including a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion, the said unthreaded portion having a transversely positioned opening formed therein and an adjacently formed slot and a toggle member positioned in the said transverse opening, and slot and spring means for urging the said toggle member out of the said slot and partially through the said transverse opening.

4. In a toggle bolt a partially threaded body member having a transversely formed opening in the unthreaded portion thereof near the inner unthreaded end thereof, a toggle member positioned in the said opening and capable of movement therein, and spring means attached to the said unthreaded end of the bolt and to one end of the toggle member for moving the said toggle member in the said opening as to position it at right angles with respect to the said bolt. HUGH N. BOYER. 

